Don’t Harm Your Game with Bad Golf Gloves

You don’t have to wear a glove to play good golf. There are plenty of excellent players – including some on the PGA Tour, who chose to play without the use of a glove.

With that said, most players will benefit from the comfort and traction that a quality golf glove provides. If you are going to use a glove, make sure to get one that is well-made, fits well, and will allow you to make your best swings all throughout the day.

As mentioned above, you don’t need to spend top dollar on all of your golf equipment to play well. However, buying a golf glove is one of those times when it is worth the extra investment to purchase a quality product. In general, a cheap golf glove will cost somewhere around $10. A premium glove, on the other hand, will range from $15 – $20. For those extra few dollars, you get a vastly superior product that has the potential to make a real difference in your game. This is a case where you really do get what you pay for in terms of both quality and performance.

When trying on golf gloves at your local pro shop, look for the following characteristics –

A tight but comfortable fit. Your golf glove should fit tight up against your hand when it is put on and secured into place. If your glove is loose, the connection you make between your hand and the grip of the club will not be as stable as it needs to be. As you put the glove on, notice the amount of effort that it requires to get the glove over your hand. If you can slide it on with no resistance at all, the glove is too big. If you have to wrestle with the glove for five minutes to get it all the way on, it is too small. A proper fitting golf glove should require a firm pull or two from your off hand to be put into place.

Small vents. Many of the best golf gloves on the market have small vents at the base of each finger which allow air to move in and out of the glove while you are wearing it. Since you are likely to get sweaty over the course of 18 holes, these vents can go a long way toward keeping your glove dry.

A textured feel. Rub the glove material between two of your fingers while not wearing the glove. What does it feel like? If the material feels smooth and slick, you can only imagine what it will feel like when you are trying to make a golf swing. Instead, the material should feel textured and just a little bit rough. This is the kind of glove that will give you the control you need over the club while hitting a shot.

To get the best possible life span from your new golf glove, you should obey the following two rules. First, never keep your glove on while you are walking or riding in between shots. After you hit a shot, remove your glove and put it in your pocket (or in your cart). If you keep the glove on for extended periods of time, it will gradually accumulate moisture and it will wear out faster. Also, try to keep at least two gloves in your golf bag at all times so you can rotate during the course of a round. Wear one glove for six or seven holes, and then switch to the other. By keeping this rotation going, you can prevent any one glove from wearing out too fast.